Body-turning device for a hospital patient



5. DAVIS BODY-TURNING DEVICE FOR A HOSPITAL PATIENT Filedon. 24. 1968 Sept. 8, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JFIGQZ.

INVENTOR.

SANFORD DAVIS F] G, 3 j ufwk o Sept. 8, 1970 s, DAVls 3,526,908

BODY-TURNING DEVICE FOR A HOSPITAL PATIENT Filed Oct. 24, 1968 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

SANFORD DAVIS United States Patent 3,526,908 BODY-TURNING DEVICE FOR A HOSPITAL PATIENT Sanford Davis, Stoney Creek Lane,

Colts Neck, NJ. 07722 Filed Oct. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 770,314 Int. Cl. A61g 7/10 US. Cl. -81 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE As a useful aid for hospitals or the like, an inflatable device effective in causing a body-turning maneuver for the hospital patient wherein a first inflatable body lifts the patent partially on his side and then a second inflatable body, during its inflation, bears on one side against the already inflated first body and with its opposite side exerts pushing contact against the patient to complete the bodyturning maneuver.

The present invention relates generally to a useful medical or patient-care aid, and more particularly to an inflatable device effective in causing a body-turning maneuver for a hospital patient.

There is a need for a device that can be used by a nurse or hospital orderly to assist in turning a bedridden patient, particularly in circumstances where the patients size makes handling diflicult, or his health condition is such that he cannot be expected to significantly assist in this maneuver. Further, although an inflatable device might suggest itself for this purpose, the requirement that this type of device be positioned completely under the patient prior to inflation presents a problem difficult to overcome since the positioning of the device then is as much a problem as achieving the body-turning maneuver. Still further, this maneuver must be achieved while exercising considerable care and gentleness so as not to cause injury to the patient. Undoubtedly, these and other stringent requirements are the reason why this useful patient-care aid is not available in a completely satisfactorily working embodiment,

Broadly, it is an object to provide a body-turning device achieving the foregoing and other commerical requirements. Specifically, it is an object to provide an inflatable device which, without any significant effort or difficulty, is positioned under one side of the patient and then, during subsequent inflation, exerts firm, but gentle, pushing contact against the patient to move the patient through a body-turning maneuver.

A body-turning device for a hospital patient or the like demonstrating objects and advantages of the present invention includes two main parts, namely a non-inflatable resilient body which is positioned beneath the shoulders and buttocks of the patient (requiring for this purpose only slight lifting of the patient) and an adjacent inflatable portion including two sequentially inflatable bodies. Inflation of the first body causes a partial lifting of one side of the patient and also advantageously presents an upper panel forming this inflatable body at an elevated position and as structure against which further pressure can be brought to bear in turning the patient. Thus, during inflation of the second inflatable body, one side thereof bears against the upper wall of the already in- Patented Sept. 8, 1970 less illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a body-turning device for a hospital patient according to the present invention, the device being illustrated in a deflated condition;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, in section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1, illustrating further structural features of the device;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial side elevational view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating still further structural features of the device, particularly of an exemplary valve means connected between the two inflatable bodies of the device;

FIGS. 4-8 inclusive, are simplified diagrammatic views sequentially illustrating both the manner and the condition of the device which contributes to its ability to turn a hospital patient.

Reference is now made to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1-3, wherein there is shown a useful aid for hospitals or the like consisting of a body-turning device 10. In a preferred embodiment as illustrated herein, the device 10 is fabricated of plastic, such as vinyl or of elastomeric coated materials, and includes, as best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, two main parts, namely, a non-inflatable resilient body 12 which is that portion delineated by an undulating free edge 12a and a substantially straight heat seal line 12b, and a remaining inflatable portion 14 consisting of a large first inflatable body 14a and a second smaller superposed inflatable body 14b.

Specifically, the resilient body 12 is formed by upper and lower vinyl panels 12c, 12d, heat sealed or adhesively bonded togther to form an enclosure for an appropriately shaped internal member 12e which is preferably fabricated of hard rubber, cellular rubber or other such resilient material.

Turning now to the construction of the inflatable body portion 14, the previously noted vinyl panels, 12c, 12d

' also cooperate with two additional intermediate plys or panels 14c, 14d, respectively, to form the previously noted first and second inflatable bodies 14a and 14b. For reasons which will soon be apparent, only the inflatable body 14a has a main inlet connection 16 for pressure air, preferably supplied by a compressor or similar mechanical means, whereas inflation of the second inflatable body 14b is achieved by controlled passage of pressure air, as best shown in FIG. 3, from the inflated body 14a through valve openings 18 and 20 into the inflatable body 14b. The pressure air during passage between these bodies 14a, 14b is channeled through the valve openings 18 and 20 by an accordion-folded enclosure panel 22 which is appropriately heat sealed to the facing vinyl panels 14c, 14d around the valve openings 18, 20.

The significance of the structural features of the bodyturning device 10 as has just been described will be better appreciated when considered in conjunction with the following description and illustrations, as set forth in FIGS. 4-8, of the manner in which the device 10 is effective in causing the turning of a lying patient P, who, it will be assumed, for health reasons must be turned very carefully and gently and, for the same health reasons, cannot be expected to significantly assist in this maneuver. It is contemplated that the nurse or hospital orderly can, without too much effort or difliculty, raise the patient P sufficiently so that the resilient body 12 can be placed beneath the patients shoulder and buttocks, all as clearly illustrated in FIG. 4. Since the patient P only has the shoulder and buttocks resting on the resilient body 12, the medial portion of body 12 which thus performs no function is therefore preferably removed and results in the undulated shape of the edge 12a.

Next, pressure air is channeled through the inlet 16 causing inflation of the first inflatable body 14a and has two significant consequences: first, the inflation of the body 14a elevates the portion of the resilient body 12 adjacent to and connected to it, all as is clearly illustrated in FIG. 5, and thus effectively raises one side of the patient P to the extent of the clearance C; second, the inflat d condition of the inflatable body 14a advantageously presents the upper panel or wall 14d of this body in an elevated position and as structure against which further pressure can be brought to bear in the body-turning maneuver. In this connection, it should be apparent that not all body-turning maneuvers occur in exactly the same way, but, nevertheless, these maneuvers do successfully occur, despite slight variations, and are the result of use of the elevated wall 14d as appropriate structure against which to exert pressure. Further, by comparison of FIGS. 5 and 6, it will also be noted that the inclination of the wall 14d appropriately changes so that in progressive positions of movement of the patient P the wall 14d essentially assumes a position beneath the patient P (as illustrated in FIG. 6) such that the second inflatable body 14b can be advantageously inflated against the then appropriately oriented wall 14d is thus effective in exerting a pushing pressure against the patient P.

More particularly, upon continued introduction of pressure air into the inflatable body 14a, a point is ultimately reached where there is controlled passage of some of the pressure air from the inflated body 14a through the previously noted valve openings 18, 20 into the second inflatable body 14b, the introduction of such pressure air being effective, of course, to start causing the inflation of the second inflatable body 14b. Thus, the condition of the device 10 progresses from that shown in FIG. 5 to that shown in FIG. 6 wherein the inflating body 14b starts to expand between the elevated wall 14d and the patient P with the result that there is a significant lifting of the side of the patient P in contact with the device D.

As intended to be illustrated in the progressive diagrammatic views of FIGS. 7, 8, ultimately there is an extent of inflation of both of the inflatable bodies 14a, 1412 that the patient P is lift d to an extent that he is lying only on one side and is then able to reach out with one or both of his hands, make contact with the bed B, and thereafter gently ease himself back down in contact with the bed and, in the process, complete a body-turning maneuver.

Although the device 10 has been herein described as a useful aid in turning hospital patients in bed, it will of course be appreciated that use thereof is not strictly limited to this purpose but can include, for example, the turning of a patient onto a stretcher, or some other similar body-turning maneuver which may require care in its execution.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features.

What is claimed is:

l. A body-turning device for a hospital patient and the like comprising a resilient body having an operative position partially disposed beneath said patient with an exposed edge therealong adjacent one side of said patient, a pair of upper and lower panels defining a first inflatable body connected along said exposed edge effective upon inflation to cause partial lifting of said resilient body and of said patient positioned thereon, and a second inflatable body operatively arranged adjacent said exposed edge adapted to be inflated next in time with a portion thereof against said elevated upper anel of said first inflatable body and with an opposite other portion thereof in pushing contact against said patient to thereby cause turning of said patient.

2. A body-turning device as defined in claim 1 including an inlet connected to said first inflatable body for the introduction of pressure air thereto and valve means connected from said first inflatable body to said second inflatable body for channeling pressure air from said first inflatable body into said second inflatable body to thereby produce said sequential inflation of said inflatable bodies.

3. A body-turning device as defined in claim 2 wherein said valve means includes a valve opening of a lesser extent than said inlet to said first inflatable body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,026,541 3/1962 Murat 5-81 3,178,732 4/1965 Stibitz 581 3,330,598 7/1967 Whiteside 287284 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

